X-Message-Number: 9882
Subject: Re: Boston Globe article on Cryonics
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 1998 12:33:46 -0500
From: Will Dye <>

In CryoNet message #9877, regarding a 6/3/98 Boston Globe article by Alex 
Beam, I wrote:

>> Scott, did you think that the article was unfair, or that it might 
>> discourage someone from signing up [for cryonic suspension]?  

In CryoNet message #9879, Scott Badger () replied: 

> I know he was trying to be cute with his (at least mildly) derogatory 
> remarks, but his facts and figures were just plain wrong.  

Your response prompted me to re-read the original article.  I now see your 
point about the article being potentially misleading.  When I first read 
it, I must have seen the occasional "factoids" as being so ridiculously 
off-base that they were intended to be part of the humor.  Reading it 
again, however, I can see how readers might well interpret some aspects of 
the article as being factual.  

For example: the article lists the web site address for the Cryonics 
Institute.  It's reasonable for a reader to suppose that even though the 
article was intended to be funny, the web site address should still be 
accurate (which it was).  Just so, one might well expect that the fees 
discussed in the article were also accurate (which they were not).  

In other words, even though the article was humorous overall, it at least 
appeared to be mixing in some factual information.  I believe that in a 
widely-distributed & professionally-written forum like the Boston Globe, 
even a humorous article should be held to the standard that if something 
appears to be factual, it should either be properly researched, or hedged 
in some way -- perhaps with another joke.

It may seem that we're taking the subject of humor a little too seriously, 
but cryonics is a potentially life-saving procedure, so it's only proper 
for us to be meticulous.  If someone is considering signing up, even our 
critics should agree that the decision should not be influenced by 
outright errors regarding definable facts like cost schedules.  

Thanks for your response, Scott.  I'll cc this posting to the author of 
the article.  I guess I'll also cc it to the Boston Globe editors, not as 
an attempt to get the author into trouble, but merely to give them yet 
another example of readers who really do care about the details in their 
work.  


--Will

        ___________________________________________________________
      William L. Dye     \  "Faith is not 'believing, in spite of the 
       \   evidence'.  Faith is 'obeying, in spite of
  \    the consequences'."  --Dr. Michael Youssef

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